The invention relates to a method of manufacture for a drug cartridge assembly configured for use in providing an injection.
Drug cartridge assemblies and other injection devices commonly include a number of different components. Typically, several of the components are fabricated from plastic, because plastic is durable and relatively inexpensive. Plastic, however, normally is not the material of choice for the container that holds the drug. Certain elements present in plastics may interact with certain drugs, for example, or may leach into and contaminate the drug. Accordingly, the liquid drug is often held within a container, such as a vial or cylindrical cartridge, which is made from medical grade borosilicate glass.
Drug cartridge assemblies must be relatively free of contamination. Sterilization and cleaning of components are therefore important considerations in any process used to manufacture a drug cartridge assembly. Many existing manufacturing methods employ cleaning and sterilization techniques that are ill-suited for use in preparing drug cartridge assemblies, or other sterile devices constructed from multiple components. In particular, existing manufacturing methods often employ sterilization processes that, while appropriate for some components, are ineffective or harmful when used on other components. In addition, existing manufacturing methods often do not efficiently utilize cleanroom environments, and thereby add unnecessarily to manufacturing costs.